Expecting
by Enchantress Nova
Summary: Our favourite Namek is withchild, but things are never easy in the life of a z fighter...especially when the demons get involved!
1. Prologue

'_Why is this happening to me?! It can't be true, it just can't be...'_

Piccolo was at the lookout, wide eyed and speechless.

For some time Piccolo had been feeling ill and couldn't train without tiring after twenty minutes so he had gone to see Dende at Gohan's request. Piccolo hadn't wanted to go but his ex-pupil was so worried and now Piccolo was seriously regretting his decision.

'_Dende must be lying...That's it; the little twerp is fucking with my mind! No...He doesn't have it in him...damn!'_

The younger namekian looked at Piccolo with concerned eyes, this was big news and he didn't appear to be handling it too well.

"How long do I have until..._you know_?" Piccolo asked flatly.

"From what I can tell I'd say less than a month..."

'_...Damn!'_

"How could this happen? I didn't do this on purpose!"

Dende saw something in Piccolo's eyes he had never seen there before...distress.

"Sometime's you can do it subconsciously. Is there any chance that you maybe _wanted_ this to happen?" Dende clearly wanted to help his troubled friend but at that moment felt powerless to do anything.

Piccolo was silent, he didn't have an answer and something told the young guardian that Piccolo's mind was probably too panicked to process anything right now.

"Piccolo, don't worry, you'll will be fi-"

"HOW THE FUCK WIILL I BE FINE?! I CAN'T LOOK AFTER A BABY!"

Dende jumped with fright. Piccolo was afraid, and Dende couldn't blame him; he was expecting an egg by the end of the month and his experience in that field accounted to zero, zip, zilch...nothing.

Piccolo couldn't think. The shock of his pregnancy still hadn't settled in and he wondered if it ever would. How the hell was he going to cope? He needed help.

"Where are you going?" asked Dende as he watched the older man stand up to leave.

"I'm going back to the son house...I can't do this on my own" Piccolo wasn't proud of how desperate he was but he knew that when he told Gohan he would have been asked to stay anyway.

"That's probably wise"


	2. The Son House

Piccolo touched down to the ground outside the Son home and slowly headed for the front door.

He was nervous, his heart instead of pounding felt missing from his chest and his hands shook slightly but unstoppably. The fright of what he had just been told was still with him and now making himself vulnerable to his friends made his entire body feel weak.

He was surprised to see he was panting; the flight had taken more of his energy than usual, but he had know that when he had to discard his cape and turban during his journey.

Piccolo was about to knock on the door when it opened widely and he was met with a startled Chichi. She groaned when she saw him and shot a death glare as she walked past him..._'same old Chichi'. _

Piccolo took a small breath and stepped inside.

Despite Chichi's obvious dislike for him, since the androids and Cell fiasco he had been more welcome at the Son House, and admittedly it felt nice to have a place to come to in times of struggle. Piccolo had helped the family with Goku's decision to stay in the other world which had definitely affected them for the worse; he had helped look after Gohan while Chichi dealt with her pregnancy-neither wanted to cross a hormonal Chichi ...and now he needed _their_ help.

"Piccolo!"

He just saw the young teenager running, none too gracefully, towards him and stop a foot away. It cheered Piccolo to see his ex-pupil was still so enthused whenever they saw eachother.

"Hey, did you go and see Dende yet?"

Piccolo's smile faded to a serious and uneasy expression and Gohan's entire face faltered to see Piccolo's sudden change.

'_This cannot be good...'_

Piccolo and Gohan sat at the large wooden table in the kitchen and talked about what Dende had said. Gohan couldn't believe his ears..._'Piccolo? Having a baby?! It just can't be!'_

"...Dende says I have less than a month before the egg arrives, after that it can take anything from hours to days for it to hatch." Piccolo couldn't control the shaking now. Gohan had even gotten him a blanket to try and help but nothing would do.

"Well then you're not leaving this house without someone with you."

Both guys turned to see Chichi at the kitchen door holding a very small Goten in her arms.

"Huh?"

She waltzed in and in a –know-it-all voice which only a mother has said "If Piccolo's going to have a baby he's going to need our support and I'm not letting a baby go without a home. I mean honestly, a cave? Think of the disease, wild animals and cold, then the Lookout what if the baby got out on its own? It could crawl right off the side of the floating palace!!"

She was met by horrified expressions from both guys sitting at the table and in that instant knew they wouldn't question her.

"So it's agreed? Piccolo stays here." Both nodded and she sent Gohan to catch some fish for the supper.

Piccolo couldn't help but look at the bundle in her arms, his chubby little hands and his beautiful sweet face, it did something to Piccolo; it triggered a feeling which he couldn't place.

"He's learning to crawl you know..." she smiled

Piccolo avoided her eyes and stared at the floor. "Why do you care so much, I mean...about me and the baby?"

Chichi smiled warmly and it looked all too strange for Piccolo to see her like this.

"You are having a baby, and I know from personal experience that you can't do it on your own, if you hadn't been here to help out I don't think I would have made it. That and I guess I've been judging you for too long, you _have_ proved yourself and I'm not going to deny that you are a changed man."

Piccolo looked at her with wide eyes. He didn't know what to say...perhaps 'who are you and what have you done with Chichi?!'

So he said the only thing he could think of "thanks."


	3. Babies Were Everywhere!

"Explain it again please?"

Gohan had gone to visit Dende for information, he couldn't have asked Piccolo for one he didn't know too much and secondly Piccolo was currently passed out in the spare room sleeping off both failed attempts at training and shock.

The first time Gohan had thought something was wrong with his beloved mentor was about a month before when after a small kick to the stomach during training he was physically sick and trembled for about half and hour. He should have made Piccolo see Dende earlier but as always Piccolo had been stubborn and didn't want anybody's help.

This was the third time Dende was explaining namekian reproduction to him and it was certainly complex.

The biology was all filled with foreign unpronounceable words and turns out Gohan and his family were in for a lot as well as Piccolo.

When not charged dangerously with ki, as the Demon King had done, Nameks could be pregnant for up to three months, the first month being unnoticeable without checking for a new ki.

Piccolo would suffer most human effects of pregnancy, like moodswings, tiredness, cramps and sickness...his hormones will be bouncing off the walls. How will they survive?

The labour because it affects their upper half their sensitive antennae throw them totally off balance and they tend to be unable to stand. Contractions move from the stomach to the jaw and are spaced out over time. The labour can take hours and even days, at what humans would call 'delivery' the egg has travelled up to the throat and cuts off air supply, good thing Nameks can hold their breath longer than humans, and then the jaw unhinges to allow the large egg out.

Gohan had the information but his expression was still grim. Piccolo's labour sounded worse than human labour; _'at least humans get to breathe!'_

He was worried about his friend and was unsure if he could even help him...he sure as hell was gonna try

After some small talk Gohan left the lookout and headed for home.

* * *

"Whoa-!"

Piccolo sat up tangled in bed sheets sweating and his heart pounding. _'What the hell kind of dream was that?!'_

Babies. Babies here and babies there- babies were everywhere!!!

'_I can't do this...no way!'_

Piccolo was about to slump back onto the bed when he felt nauseous..._ 'Oh, why now?!'_

He quickly darted to the bathroom and horrifically vomited a mix of water and god knows what, the loud retching painful and uncontrollable. The burning in his throat and the dull emptiness in his belly made him shiver intensely.

'_Every time I wake up I'll have to do this? By the time the egg arrives I'll be driven half mad and then what?!'_

Piccolo's head suddenly felt unbearably heavy so flushing the toilet he turned away and rested it on his knees which were tucked up to his chest.

'_Oh how the mighty have fallen...'_

"Piccolo? Are you okay in there?!" came Chichi's voice from the other side of the door before she slowly entered.

Piccolo, curled up on the floor, head down and shivering. This sight stunned her to say the least.

"C'mon you can lie on the couch."

Chichi was definitely not behaving as her normal self. Piccolo was afraid at first thinking she must have been up to something or she was taking him for a weird ride but then it dawned on him...it was human nature.

When a woman (or person?) is pregnant friends and family will instinctly protect and assist them as part of their own maternal or paternal impulse...thank Kami for it, or else he could have been on his own.

Piccolo numbly followed Chichi to the living room and lay down on the somewhat old yet comfortable couch. Chichi fetched him some water in a glass and put it on the small table next to him.

"Don't worry I know how horrible nausea can be at this time" she offered a smile.

He gave a small one back as he slowly sipped at the cool water; it stung slightly as it went down his aching throat and made him wince for a second.

'_RRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!' _screeched the telephone

Chichi swiftly picked it up and answered "Hello."

It was Bulma and she was throwing yet another party. She invited everybody at the Son house and requested that she inform Piccolo too...but little did Bulma know she would be having an extra _little_ guest.


	4. The Confusing Picture of Innocence

It was two days before the party and Chichi was panicking. _She just had nothing to wear! _

Piccolo shook his head at the obsessed woman and returned his attention to Gohan's wound. He was just glad Chichi wasn't yelling at Gohan for collapsing part of the house anymore; it was hell with his sensitive hearing.

Piccolo smiled as he treated Gohan's knee, he wasn't in pain but he had to prevent infection; the boy had been training and a ki blast got away from him.

He found he had been doing more domestic things lately, helping out around the house and assisting with Gohan's studying. It was the strangest transition.

Piccolo missed training and being able to fly places, he was ordered by Chichi not to do anything strenuous and he wasn't about to cross her authority in this house.

Truthfully, Piccolo was very grateful for what Chichi was doing for him and he was calmed a great deal...although he still couldn't settle about the baby.

Thinking about the baby made Piccolo's head spin; he wasn't ready to be a parent and he doubted he ever would be...

He was puzzled with how this had happened in the first place; charging ki to fertilise an egg required a specific focus, apparently he had done this subconsciously with a secret want for it. But he _didn't _want it! He didn't even know what it was like to _have_ a father!

'_How can _I _raise a child...?'_

Piccolo finished up as he tied a bandage around Gohan's knee with a small "done" and Gohan gave a smile.

"Next time train away from the house" Piccolo said teasingly

"If it stops my mom from yelling I'd train at the South Pole" they both shared a small chuckle before Chichi abruptly charged into the room and they turned to face her.

"Gohan get ready for going shopping!"

Gohan's face faltered and Piccolo struggled not to smirk at the boy's misfortune.

"But mom-"

"No buts you are coming with me because we both need to look good for the party, now go get changed you're absolutely filthy"

With a groan Gohan slowly made his way to his room but the torture wasn't over...for Piccolo anyway.

Chichi slowly approached the Namek who was now sitting on the couch with a small grin; Piccolo knew something bad was on its way. "Piccolo..." she almost singed "I need a tiny favour"

'Oh fuck what is it?'

"While me and Gohan are out...you are to babysit Goten" she chimed happily.

"What? Chichi are you mad?! I ca-you're gone"

Chichi had left Piccolo ranting in the kitchen and had swiftly exited with Gohan. Piccolo moves to the living room window just in time to see Chichi half dragging her son who was desperately trying to weasel out of it 'mom I've got a headache...mom I'm allergic to the mall PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GO!' Piccolo's sensitive hearing picked up and it made him smile just for a second.

Piccolo stayed quiet in the house trying not to wake the baby, maybe if Chichi and Gohan hurried up they would return before Goten even woke up...it was a long shot but boy if Piccolo ever hoped for anything in his life it was this

'WWWAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!'

And if ever his hope was shattered it would be now...

Piccolo hurriedly made his way to Goten's cot in Chichi's room and as carefully as possible lifted him up and held him in his arms, he began imitating what he had seen chichi doing and began rocking his arms gently. The child's screaming threatening to burst his eardrums and his chubby hands balled into fists as he gently pounded on Piccolo's chest. To Piccolo it was a tapping and the fact that the baby was so chubby and unbelievably tiny made his mind numb and his chest feel missing from his body.

He continued swinging his arms, gently asking Goten to 'hush,' Piccolo just seemed awkward at first but he soon picked up a rhythm and got just the right force.

It didn't take long for the baby to stop crying and Piccolo felt a little bit of pride in himself, though he would never admit it. Piccolo couldn't help but smile at the bundle in his arms _'he was just cranky'_ and then everything seemed to stop, suddenly he felt a strange stirring in his stomach, _'it couldn't be my baby...could it?!'_

Piccolo had four weeks to go and he could feel the baby moving around inside him, probably happy to be near another baby. The surreal tickling and shifting made Piccolo need a sit down; never stopping his gentle swaying of Goten. He sat down on the edge of Chichi's bed and tried to register what was happening.

A small jab from inside his belly did it...as they say 'it's kicking!'

Piccolo laughed nervously. It felt wonderful yet frightening at the same time. In another couple weeks the baby would go into a type of hibernation as the egg shell would develop and the baby would focus on just being ready for entering the real world so Piccolo savoured the feeling for all it was worth. What ever the feeling was he experiencing...he wanted to keep it.

Piccolo snapped back to reality when he heard a funny noise from Goten and he was afraid he would start crying again. Piccolo looked at his tiny and beautiful face as it changed expressions every millisecond and finally settled on a tiny cough and then he settled back into Piccolo's rocking arms.

'_simply adorable...wait...what's happening to me?!'_

Piccolo had definitely changed, he was more..._maternal!_ Not just towards Gohan like he had since training, but Piccolo had found himself getting a little paranoid and overprotective. Not as much as Chichi, nice as she was being she was still a nut-job, but he kept worrying that someone was going to hurt themselves or something. Normally Piccolo would only intervene if he knew Gohan couldn't handle what was happening; getting hurt was never something to worry about-it built character. Now Piccolo couldn't understand why the hell would just let anyone scrape their knee or bang their head.

'_guess things change when there's a kid involved...' _

Piccolo sighed and looked down, the moving around in his stomach was not as bold as before but was still noticeable and Piccolo was met with a breathtaking sight;

Goten was fully awake now, his eyes were large and they shined beautifully beaming at Piccolo, his tan and chubby face smiling like there was no tomorrow; the picture of innocence. Piccolo freed a hand and softly graced the side of his face; Piccolo had expected the worst reaction and was surprised when the baby's smile grew even wider. Piccolo had never felt so warm, and when Goten was so unafraid of him he began trying to gum his fingers to death Piccolo could only chuckle.

Remembering he had a reputation to protect, Piccolo snapped out of it and headed for the kitchen to prepare some baby formula. He shook his head furiously trying to return to his normal self but it just wouldn't happen.

This was the most confusing moment of Piccolo's life thus far...his heart was betraying his head.

But to be honest...Piccolo didn't mind at all.


	5. You Won't Suffer

Gohan stumbled up the hill towards his house as he held the mile high stock of clothes his mom had bought as Chichi power walked up holding only two bags, what she called _the dress,_ and a box of shoes. He noticed how worried his mother was since they had left, she had let it slip a couple times that she was thinking about Piccolo and Goten. She trusted Piccolo and hoped he was fine but she knew there was a chance something had gone wrong.

The eventually made it to the front door and Chichi mentally prepared herself for the worst before slowly opening the door and stepping inside.

The most adorable sight was revealed.

Piccolo was lying on his back on the couch playing with an extremely happy looking Goten sitting on his stomach. Chichi sighed with relief and awe which attracted the attention of the very embarrassed Namek.

Piccolo had been caught; he was a softie and good with kids...if any of the guys ever found out his reputation would be damned to the deepest recesses of Hell.

Gohan laid down the bags and boxes none too carefully on the floor and looked up to see them. Gohan couldn't stop the "Aww" that fell from his lips.

Chichi gave a small laugh as Piccolo shot Gohan a death glare, "Well you seem to be fine with Goten; I'm going to make some Dinner."

Chichi quickly hung up her chosen dress for the party on the door and put the bags and box of shoes in her room. Gohan stared dumfounded as Goten began trying to pull on Piccolo's antennae and instead of yelling Piccolo just tickled him gently. Goten's sweet laugh like music in the small house.

"Wow, he is really happy" said Gohan looking at his little brother but then saw something even more amazing with Piccolo; he was blushing.

'_Piccolo's seems happy too...'_

* * *

It wasn't long before lunch ready and Gohan began to chow down as only a demi-saiyajin, Goten was content with his teddy bear and Chichi took bites as she awed at her pretty dress for the party; Piccolo sipped slowly at his water keeping his eyes low.

"Mom, your dress isn't going to run away; you don't have to keep looking at it every five seconds" said a smiling Gohan; he was just happy to not be at the mall.

"I know that" Chichi was in a good mood, she had a wonderful dress and at a price that didn't take out of Gohan's collage fund. "What do you think Piccolo?"

_Was she serious?_ "Chichi, I'm pregnant, _not _one of your girlfriends" he replied receiving chuckles from the other occupants of the room.

Gohan was happier than he had been for a while, what with his dad gone things had seemed a bit empty but now that Piccolo was in more of a 'family mood' things were going much better. Gohan didn't understand what Piccolo was so worried about, he was obviously great with children and Gohan especially could be used as evidence of that.

'_I just know Piccolo is gonna make a great dad, heck he practically is one now!'_

"Piccolo, I have a question" started Chichi "Do Nameks age at the same rate Human's do, because you seemed to age really quickly whereas Dende aged like Gohan?"

Gohan looked up from his mound of food, it was such a strange question he wanted to know the answer.

"Nameks age like human's do until the age of twenty earth years when their physical aging seems to come to a stop, I'm a demon so I aged as my sire had intended me to...as quick as possible" replied Piccolo flatly. He never did like talking about his past.

"It still surprises me to think you're only three years older than Gohan" Chichi muffled between chewing her rice.

"WHAT?!" screamed Gohan, how was Piccolo so young?!

"Like I said Gohan, I grew up almost immediately" Piccolo took another sip of water in attempts of ignoring the small pang in his chest.

"So you couldn't have really had a childhood then?" Gohan wasn't hungry anymore; the shock had taken up all of his senses. Piccolo didn't say a word but they all knew it bothered him.

Piccolo's memories were short but filled with loneliness and pain, he was alone from the moment he was born, but he was given his fathers mission – to destroy Son Goku. He wasn't born out of love or even some accident...he was a tool. Piccolo couldn't help but shudder when he remembered those freezing nights, trying more than anything to just get some rest, while the fear of hypothermia and being some animals' midnight snack played heavily on his mind. Piccolo wouldn't wish that on anybody and he made a silent promise to himself to not let _his_ son suffer as he did.

Piccolo felt a small kick inside his stomach; the baby thanked him and Piccolo couldn't help but smile.

Gohan noticed Piccolo's change in mood and begged Piccolo's mood swings weren't returning, so far they had come in forms of paranoia, laughing at the slightest things and throwing stuff at people...Gohan dreaded to think Piccolo was going to go off again "What's up Piccolo?"

"He's moving again"

Silence commandeered the dining room until Gohan was, while relieved, too confused to hold back the ever goofy "...huh?"

"The baby started moving earlier when I was babysitting...he should be doing it a lot for the next two weeks" said Piccolo trying not to sound too happy although he really was.

"Really, can I feel it?" perked Chichi suddenly and Piccolo didn't really feel he could say no. He nodded ad Chichi moved closer "Where about is it?" He guided her hand to the point the kicking was most noticeable and she gently placed her hand on it. There were a couple seconds and she jolted her hand back as soon as she felt one.

Chichi couldn't control the smiling, these moments were always so magical and, in her opinion, any woman who didn't feel her heart flutter when a baby kicked was not normal.

Gohan however was still stunned, it settled in how radical Piccolo being 'pregnant' was but Gohan had noticed something else...the baby was no longer 'it!'

Before when Piccolo referred to the baby he would say 'it' but Piccolo was now calling it 'him.' This was definitely a step forward and Piccolo was starting to recognise that the baby was going to be a person one day. Even though it wasn't a big leap Gohan was still proud of his best friend and only hoped that Piccolo would keep with his progress.

* * *

Elsewhere, things were far less joyous...

Shadows swallowed the room and the people inside of it, the cold dank floors loomed with a horrible mist and the only source of light was a small crystal ball in the centre.

"How revolting" sneered one of the men, receiving a unanimous nod from all other men in the room, their demonic faces barely seen in the streams of light emanating from the orb.

Watching the 'Almighty Demon King' getting all gooey over a baby, it was enough to make them vomit; Piccolo Jr. was too far gone.

"What will we do sire?" asked one of the smaller men not turning away from the image in front of him.

Silence filled everyone's ears as 'Sire' was thinking. This baby situation had much potential to work in his favour and he was not about to waste the opportunity. He sat in the darkest corner totally unseen until a small glimmer caught on one of his fangs, and answered in his low growl;

"I know exactly what to do; listen closely..."


End file.
